Sequeira Sends Women’s Soccer Into First Skyline Postseason Over Sarah Lawrence

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Needing a win on Senior Night in their regular season finale to qualify for their first Skyline Conference postseason berth, freshman Deserae Sequeira's (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) long-range shot in the 75th minute lifted the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) women's soccer team past Sarah Lawrence College, 1-0, on Wednesday evening at Aviator Field.
With the win, the Bears claim the No. 6 seed for the Skyline Championships and will face No. 3 College of Mount Saint Vincent in the first round on Saturday.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 1, Sarah Lawrence 0
• Records: St. Joseph's (8-7, 4-5), Sarah Lawrence (5-9-1, 3-6)
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y. — Aviator Field

How It Happened

• In an evenly matched contest, neither team could gain an edge in the first half. Leading scorer Sequeira had a good opportunity, as well as the Gryphons' top attacker Lauren Ashby. Each goalkeeper saved the only shot they saw on goal in the first 45, as the score remained 0-0 at intermission.
• Early in the second stanza the Bears gained three corners but were unable to get a good shot off and the Gryphons nearly got on board first when Jordynn Figueroa's shot rang off the left post but managed to stay out of goal.
• Gridlock remained through the second half, but the Bears pressed forward needing a win. Rachel Rocha (Linden, N.Y./Linden) launched a deep rocket in the 68th minute that nearly found the upper 90 but was punched over the bar by the Sarah Lawrence keeper.
• Shortly after Sequeira slipped free from the defense and fired a shot from inside the box that just sailed wide right. But in the 75th minute, Sequeira finally broke through receiving a throw-in from Rebecca De Rosa five yards behind the top right of the box, dribbled once and threaded a shot over the arm of Madison Mertsch for the game's lone goal.
• Looking to preserve the one-goal lead, SJC moved most of their players back on defense and in the final minute Sarah Lawrence had a good opportunity to equalize. After a corner kick, the ball bounced in a box for a long tenuous 15 seconds around a cluster of players from both sides. The Bears defense blocked a shot from close range as the final horn sounded giving SJC the postseason berth.

For the Bears

• Sequeira fired eight shots (three on goal) on her way to the game-winning goal.
• Keeper Lauren Quesada (Westbury, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) saved both of the shots that came her way.
• On her Senior Night, Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) followed Ashby closely. McGowan's stellar defense helped keep the Skyline's sixth-leading scorer without a goal.
• De Rosa's throw-in helper was her fifth assist of the season.

The Bear Facts

• Despite entering the game tied with Sarah Lawrence with matching 3-5 league records, St. Joseph's needed an outright win to earn a postseason berth. Per the league's tiebreaker rules Sarah Lawrence would have claimed sixth place with a win or tie.
• The Bears finish the regular season with a seven-win improvement over a 1-12 campaign last season. The win also guarantees the Bears their third .500-or-better season in program history.
• Sequeira's goal was her league-leading 23rd of the season and her fifth game-winner, also a league best. The freshman also finishes the regular season as the league leader in points (57).

Next Up for the Bears

• St. Joseph's will head to Riverdale, N.Y. to face the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Saturday (Oct. 28) starting at 11 a.m. When the teams met two weeks ago, the Dolphins handed the Bears a 2-0 setback.